In Season 2 of Marvel Rivals, various characters have experienced buffs and nerfs, enhancing the power of some heroes while others have been balanced to align with the overall strength of the game roster. This update also introduces tweaks to general mechanics and Team-Ups, leading to modifications in many characters’ abilities. As a result, the effectiveness of team compositions may shift, unlocking new synergies driven by a mix of buffs and nerfs.
The Season 2 update also welcomes Emma Frost as the new Vanguard character, introducing a fresh Team-Up with Magneto and Psylocke. Changes to Emma’s abilities won’t manifest until the mid-season update in Season 2.5. Her strength will be reassessed with the arrival of Ultron during this update, potentially resulting in additional buffs or nerfs based on her performance relative to other heroes.
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All Universal Changes Explained
New Currency Systems and Various Mode Adjustments
In contrast to Season 1, a number of universal changes have impacted existing game modes and currency systems in Marvel Rivals, altering what players have come to expect. To begin, every player’s Competitive Rank has been reduced by nine positions, effectively resetting your status at the start of this new Season. Players will need to work their way back up through the ranks to reclaim previous standings.
As of Season 2, the selection of maps available in Competitive mode has been trimmed. Players will now face off on only four maps, including the newly added Krakoa: Hellfire Gala Domination map.
The developers’ Season 2 Roadmap points out that another significant change involves the adjustments to Team-Up abilities. Two Team-Ups have been removed, while some characters have been added or removed from others. This extensive set of Team-Up modifications is detailed in the “Heroes” menu of the game.
One of the most notable adjustments is in how players acquire Chrono Tokens, Lattice, and Units through in-game challenges. Weekly missions and character-specific challenges have been split into separate categories, providing new avenues to earn in-game currency for acquiring cosmetics. Furthermore, with the introduction of a new currency type, Unstable Molecules, players now have additional resources to customize character costumes with unique colors.
All Characters Buffs & Nerfs
Changes in Hero Strength
Not all characters from the Duelist, Vanguard, or Strategist categories received adjustments. However, those that did undergo change experienced various balance modifications that affected different aspects of their abilities. The changes to characters can be categorized as follows:
- Modification of an existing ability (altered cooldown, damage adjustments, etc.)
- Change in a character’s health (increased or decreased)
- Adjustments to an Ultimate ability’s charge time (prolonged or shortened)
Season 2’s character changes either resulted in a Buff, Nerf, or Neutral adjustment for the heroes based on the aggregate of their updates. For instance, a character might experience a nerf in one ability but receive a health boost to maintain viability within various team compositions.
Below are the specifics of each character’s changes for Season 2, categorized by whether they were Buffed, Nerfed, or remained Neutral:
Every Vanguard Buffs & Nerfs
| Character | Season 2 Status | All Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Captain America | Nerfed | Decreased overall resilience; Base health reduced from 675 to 650; Shield value of Living Legend cut from 400 to 350. |
| Doctor Strange | Nerfed | Reduced offensive capabilities; Daggers of Denak damage per projectile decreased; Conversion ratio of Dark Magic to damage reduced. |
| Hulk | Buffed | Base movement speed increased from 600 to 650; Reduced cooldown for Indestructible Guard ability; Decreased minimum charge for Incredible Leap. |
| Magneto | Nerfed | Increased energy cost for Meteor M Ultimate ability. |
| Peni Parker | Buffed | Primary fire can trigger Critical Hits on headshots; Reduced movement speed penalty during primary attack; Base health increased from 650 to 750. |
| The Thing | Nerfed | Reduced Embattled Leap’s damage reduction for himself and allies. |
| Thor | Buffed | Base health raised from 525 to 650; Base movement speed increased from 600 to 650. |
Vanguards experienced minimal changes, but those who were adjusted saw considerable impacts. Doctor Strange faced significant nerfs, while Peni Parker received impactful buffs that enhance both damage output and survivability. Given that Vanguards serve as the backbone of any team in Marvel Rivals, these shifts could significantly influence the success of specific synergies in Season 2.
Every Duelist Buffs & Nerfs
| Character | Season 2 Status | All Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Black Widow | Buffed | Can shoot directly after second kick of Edge Dancer; Can shoot after using Electro-Plasma Explosion Ultimate. |
| Hawkeye | Buffed | Reduced slow effect when charging bow shots; Increased damage from Hypersonic Arrow; Decreased energy cost for Hunter’s Sight Ultimate. |
| Hela | Neutral | Increased cooldown for Astral Flock ability; Increased spell field damage for Piercing Night ability; Decreased cooldown for Soul Drainer ability. |
| Human Torch | Buffed | Reduced attack interval for Fire Cluster; Advanced timing of primary attack projectile; Gains degrading Bonus Health after using Flaming Meteor. |
| Iron Man | Buffed | Slightly reduced hitbox size; 100 Bonus Health gained when activating Armor or Gamma Overdrive. |
| Iron Fist | Neutral | Adjustments to Bonus Health and damage outputs; Reduced cooldown for K’un-Lun Kick ability. |
| Mister Fantastic | Buffed | Increased base health from 350 to 375; Elevated damage from Stretch Punch primary attack. |
| Moon Knight | Buffed | Improved speed of Crescent Dart projectile; Bonus Health from Moon Blade projectile increased; Shortened start-up time of Moonlight Hook ability. |
| Scarlet Witch | Buffed | Fixed damage from Chaos Control increased; Enhanced damage output for Chtonian Burst. |
| Star-Lord | Nerfed | Reduced damage for Blaster Barrage; Introduced damage falloff mechanic to Blaster Barrage ability. |
| Winter Soldier | Nerfed | Increased cooldown for Bionic Hook ability; Decreased base damage for Kraken Impact Ultimate. |
| Wolverine | Neutral | Adjustments to Rage gain mechanics based on various abilities and attacks. |
The majority of Duelist characters saw buffs in Season 2, particularly those that previously struggled. Notably, both Human Torch and Mister Fantastic received essential updates to their abilities. With multiple Duelists now being viable choices, predicting which ones will dominate will prove challenging.
Every Strategist Buffs & Nerfs
| Character | Season 2 Status | All Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Warlock | Neutral | Increased cooldown for Soul Bond ability; Karmic Revival Ultimate now restores 30% health to fallen allies. |
| Cloak & Dagger | Nerfed | Healing zones from Eternal Bond Ultimate no longer stack. |
| Invisible Woman | Nerfed | Guardian Shield’s effectiveness decreased from 300 to 250. |
| Loki | Nerfed | Cooldown for Regeneration Domain increased from 25 to 30 seconds. |
| Mantis | Neutral | Base health reduction from 275 to 250; Stacking effects of Healing Flower or Allied Inspiration allowed. |
| Rocket Raccoon | Neutral | Adjustments to Repair Mode spheres, including reduced healing area and speed. |
Strategist characters in Marvel Rivals have seen significant nerfs or adjustments in Season 2, likely aimed at counteracting the dominant “Triple Support” meta from the previous season. Despite major changes, some characters stand out as more powerful than before, with Rocket Raccoon’s healing capabilities notably enhanced.
The extensive list of adjustments may influence the best strategies for various characters, so players are encouraged to experiment with different heroes to discover optimal play styles. Although the nerfs and buffs for Season 2 of Marvel Rivals are significant, many characters can still perform exceptionally well in matches if players understand their strengths and weaknesses.
